New R.I. effort to help people with diabetes who face 'equity challenges' during coronavirus
PROVIDENCE — People living with diabetes who face “equity challenges and are at higher risk for COVID-19” will benefit from an initiative being launched by the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island, an organization that aims to improve health by focusing on primary and preventive care.
Partnering with the state Health Department and 100 Million Healthier Lives, the collaborative’s “Rhode Island Diabetes Health Equity Challenge” is a five-month effort “aimed at building important links between primary care practices, community health teams and the state’s Health Equity Zones to improve health outcomes to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations,” according to a media release.
Challenge teams “using the urgent needs identified by the coronavirus crisis” will work to develop support networks to help individuals with getting diabetes medication and monitoring; access to transportation and food; telehealth services for mental and physical health; and reducing social isolation, among other needs.
“We hope to use this moment of crisis to help our primary care communities rapidly respond to Rhode Islanders who are vulnerable and at high-risk,” said Debra Hurwitz, the collaborative’s executive director. These include people who are economically distressed, and racial groups including Hispanics and African-Americans.
Read more: https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200417/new-ri-effort-to-help-people-with-diabetes-who-face-equity-challenges-during-coronavirus